ammonnews.net

Ammon News - British Ambassador to Jordan, Her Excellency Bridget Brind OBE, visited Ma’an Governorate on Tuesday 20 June to see first-hand UK-funded projects supporting people in Ma’an, particularly youth, women and refugees, including through education. She also met with the Governor of Ma’an, Faisal Mufleh Al Smeiran, and Mayor of Ma’an, Yasin Fares Saleh.

The UK last year provided £15m of financial aid through the Accelerating Access Initiative (AAI) multi-donor trust fund to support the Jordanian Government’s provision of education to 154,000 Syrian and other refugee boys and girls, including in Ma’an. The AAI programme works across 12 Jordanian governorates covering 42 directorates around the country, providing access to education for Syrian and non-Syrian refugee children in Jordan, including host and refugee children with disabilities. Through the AAI programme, the Ministry of Education, along with technical assistance from the UK, has established and supported 180 learning support teachers and 120 multi-disciplinary team members to reach around 3000 children with disabilities in around 60 pilot inclusive schools. In the Ma'an governorate, AAI supports some 40 schools and 2,040 Syrian refugee children, including those with disabilities, with essential education services.

At a community centre in Ma'an, where the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) has been delivering a set of Gender Based Violence (GBV) related prevention and response projects, the Ambassador had the opportunity to speak to adolescent girls and male members of the community who have been participating in DRC’s Engaging Men to Protect Women and Girls (EMAP) project, which is supported by the UK-funded Jordan Protection Programme.

The Ambassador continued her visit to the Shobak Charitable Society for Women. The society empowers local women to build their skills and provides them with economic opportunities to create small-scale businesses. The Ambassador praised the ambition of women entrepreneurs and encouraged their involvement in the local economy, highlighting how their activity can empower and inspire other women to follow their example.

Concluding the visit, the Ambassador said: “I was delighted to pay my first visit to Ma’an, in Southern Jordan, as part of my regular schedule of visits to all parts of Jordan. I met inspirational students and teachers at Ma’an Primary School, who demonstrated passion and enthusiasm in developing their skills within an inclusive environment. I am proud of the UKs strong support for schools across Jordan, including in Ma’an, through the Accelerating Access Initiative in partnership with the Ministry of Education. I also met ambitious women entrepreneurs and professionals delivering community services, showcasing the role of women and youth as active members of their society, helping deliver more opportunities and better outcomes for all. Visiting Ma’an on World Refugee Day, I welcome the hospitality of its people and underline the UK’s commitment to continue supporting Jordan’s generous hosting of refugees. The UK has just pledged up to a further £150 million in humanitarian support for the Syria crisis in the region at the recent conference in Brussels on 15 June, bringing the total this year to almost £200 million’.